Fire-escape.



M. RODRIGUEZ Y FONOLL.

FIRE ESCAPE APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

2 SHEETS-BHEET 1.

Attorneys M. RODRIGUEZ Y FONOLL.

FIRE ESOAPE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1911.

1,021,336. Patented Mar.26, 1912.

iii

wltnesses Attorneys mmgll ljyfiw lnventor l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MANUEL RODRIGUEZ Y FONOLL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 30, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MANUEL RODRIGUEZ Y FONOLL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fire escapes, and the primaryobject of the invention is the provision of a parachute apparatusadapted to be disposed in operable relation with the respective windowsor outlets of a structure or building, and provided with means forreceiving the body of the first person to be rescued and retaining thesame in such position until delivery upon the sidewalk or ground.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a parachutedevice adapted to be so disposed with relation to the opening of abuilding or structure that after having received the body or person tobe rescued will travel by gravity and be momentarily halted to properlydispose the parachute so that in falling it will not strike the face ofthe building or any projections thereof, the support for the same beingso disposed as to carry the parachute beyond the building line.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofwhat is claimedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus inoperable relation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device, a sectionbeing taken through a window frame and the adjacent portion of abuilding, showing the apparatus in the position for use. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view through the support showing the position ofthe parachute hanger therein. Fig. 4 is a cross sect-ion through thesupport showing the parachute hanger in operable relation thereto.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the building, B the window frametherein and depending from the underside of the top portion of the frameexterior of the Window sashes are the arms 1, which grip Patent-ed Mar.26, 1912.

Serial No. 636,169.

the inner end of the tubular support 2, which as shown in Fig. 4 of thedrawings is slotted upon the lower side thereof and has mounted at itsouter end a collar 4 to which is connected the guy or supporting ropes 5and 6, thereby holding the said tubular support 2 in the position asclearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Mounted in the outer end of the tubularsupport 2 is a plug or abutment 7, and disposed within said tube, is atrack or rail 8, which is mounted at its inner end upon the hanger 9,and within the tube upon the bracket 10 as clearly shown. By this meansthe rail is disposed above the slot 3, and has mounted thereonoppositely disposed pulleys 11 and 12 of the carria e 13 which hasconnected thereto the flexible or chain connection 14 by means of whichand the hook 15 the parachute 16 is operably carried upon the pulleys11. and 12 and when in inoperable position assumes the position as shownin Figs. 1 and 2.

Connected to the parachute 16 are the flexible arms 17 which carry thejacket or frame 18 provided with the arm supports 19 and with thesectional flared lower auxiliary parachute 20, whereby the body of theparty to be rescued is placed and held until delivery to the ground orpavement. The inner section 20 assumes the position as shown in Figs. 1and 2.

The rings 20 and 21 of the life saving frame 18 are made adjustable sothat various sized persons may be accommodated and the parachute is ofsuflicient size to properly permit the descending of the averageweighted person.

The body receiving portion of this apparatus is detachable from the arms17, so that the same may be adjusted upon the person to descend beforebeing attached to the parachute 16 by the arm 17. Also as the auxiliaryparachute and the frame (1819) are made of flexible'and foldablematerial, the parts may be placed within ready reach in a room orcarried in a satchel or suit case.

From the foregoing description it is evident that a device of thischaracter can be readily placed in position in front of the windows orother openings of a building or structure, and at the same time may beso mounted or pivoted that the tubular support 2 may be automaticallyreturned toward the building line when delivering the parachute so thatobjects falling from above may not strike the same. It is also evidentthat the said tubular support and its parachute may be so disposedwithin the structure that by a simple manipulation they may be projectedexteriorly of the building line to operable position.

In order to operate the device, the party to be rescued is placed withinthe portion 18 their arms through the arm supports 19, the rear sectionof the flared portion or auxiliary parachute 20, the party' to berescued at this time being upon the outer edge of the window sill. Asnoted the tubular support inclines outwardly, so that as soon as theparty moves from the sill the pulleys 11 and 12 will by gravity run downupon the rail 8 and as it approaches the lower end of the tubularsupport 2 will strike the pivoted check or wing 22, normally held in theposition as shown in Fig. 3 by means of the coiled spring 23 and thesaid pulleys will then strike the inner face of the plug or abutment 7and be halted sufficiently to permit the parachute when freed throughthe opening 24 of the tube to descend in a substantially vertical lineto the ground below,

the action of descension opening the parachute so as to retard andfinally break the fall of the occupant of the apparatus.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fire escape, the combination of a tubular support adapted to bemounted so as to have its outer end beyond the face of a building, saidouter end being provided with downwardly opening chamber therein, acarrier mounted for movement. through said tube, and a parachute carriedby said carrier, said parachute being adapted to be released from thetubular support as the carrier passes through the chamber and opening inthe outer end thereof.

2. In a fire escape, the combination of a tubular support provided witha. longitudinal slot in the lower wall thereof terminating in anenlarged outlet, a spring actuated check mounted in the end of said slotwithin the tubular support, a track disposed within said tubular supportlongitudinally thereof above the slot therein, a wheel car rier mountedupon said track within the support, a parachute carried thereby andmeans for supporting the party to be rescued carried by the parachute.

3. In a fire escape, the combination of a Copies of this patent may beobtained for tubular support having a longitudinally disposed tracktherein, a Wheeled carrier mounted upon said track within the tubularsupport, the outer end of said tubular support being curved downwardlyto permit the movement of the carrier therein by gravity, a parachutecarried by the carrier, and means for checking the movement of thecarrier at the end of the support and directing the movement of theparachute downwardly. I

i. In a fire escape, the combination with a tubular support providedwith a longitudinal slot in the lower end thereof, said tubular supporthaving a straight portion adapted to be adjacent the building and with adownwardly and outwardly extending portion terminating in a downwardlyopening chamber in the end thereof, a spring actuated check mounted insaid chamber and adapted to seal the main portion of the tubularsupport, a track disposed in said tubular support above the slottherein, a Wheeled carrier mounted upon said track, a parachute carriedby said wheeled carrier and adapted to move with said carrier by gravitythrough the tubular support and be checked in its movement by the springactuated check, and a bodysupport carried by said parachute.

5. In a fire escape, the combination with a curved tubular supportprovided with a longitudinal slot in the lower wall thereof terminatingin an enlarged opening, a plug sealing the outer end of said support andproviding a chamber thereat, a hingedly mounted stop disposed in thesupport near the opening at the outer end thereof, a spring for normallyholding said stop away from the sealed end thereof, a track disposedlongitudinally within the support above the opening therein, a wheeledcarrier disposed upon said track for movement within the support, aparachute carried thereby, and an adjustable body support carried by theparachute.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MANUEL RODRIGUEZ Y FONOLL. IVitnesses JOAN COHN, FRANK E. CAMPBELL.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington,D. G.

